The present invention relates generally to a wireless interactive consumer video system. In recent years, interactive technology at retail locations has become especially popular with vendors, retailers and consumers. Interactive systems are typically found at retail locations in the immediate proximity of the products promoted by the interactive unit. Interactive systems range in complexity from shelf mounted, audio only interactive units to free standing kiosks with full video and audio interactive capabilities.
Interactive units are popular with vendors for a variety of reasons. First, interactive units allow the vendor to actively market and promote its products to consumers within the retail location, where the consumer is making the actual purchase. Moreover, interactive units allow the vendor to control the information provided to consumers about its product. The use of interactive units assures the vendor that consumers will be supplied with the information that the vendor intends to provide the consumer about its products. For example, an interactive unit may be programmed to advise the consumer of the superior qualities of the vendor's products and the advantages of the vendor's products over competitors' products. Furthermore, the use of interactive systems may impress consumers and result in sales of additional products by that vendor.
Interactive units are also popular with retailers. Interactive units decrease the need for sales clerks to provide information to consumers. Similarly, retailers can minimize the training and education of sales clerks about products for which an interactive system provides consumer information. An interactive unit may also improve relations with vendors because the retailer can assure the vendor that the consumer will be provided with the exact information that the vendor wants to pass on to the consumer. Interactive units may also increase traffic flow and boost overall sales because consumers prefer to shop at stores with informative and entertaining interactive units. Retailers may also desire to associate themselves with this new type of technology in order to convince consumers that their retail operation is modem and state of the art. Moreover, if a retail location owns interactive units, it will benefit from licensing or leasing its units to vendors.
In addition, interactive units are popular with consumers. Interactive units allow consumers to enter data and quickly gather information about different products. Some consumers prefer to gather information from these units because the information received is deemed to be more accurate, current and reliable than information obtained from a sales clerk. Interactive systems may also be able to provide the consumer with considerably more information than a sales clerk. Consumers may also prefer interactive units because they provide immediate information without requiting the consumer to locate a sales clerk.
Consumers also enjoy interactive systems because they are entertaining to use and because they are deemed modem and state of the art. Because they are machines, interactive units further allow the user to spend as much or as little time as is necessary with the unit gathering basic or detailed information. In addition, some consumers may be embarrassed or uncomfortable asking a sales clerk about personal products or make sensitive inquiries of a sales clerk. These consumers may prefer to receive information about from an interactive unit than from a sales clerk.
An interactive unit may be as simple as a push button audio unit that provides audio information after a button is depressed. The typical such unit is rectangular and approximately the size of book. The exterior of the unit includes several push buttons and a template that identifies the information associated with each push button.
For example, a shampoo vendor may develop a basic audio only interactive unit that provides information and product recommendations for users with different types of hair. The template may indicate that the user should press a different buttons to learn more about different hair types. If, for example, the user presses the button marked "dry hair," the unit will provide an audio message containing information and product recommendations for dry hair. This product can be shelf mounted immediately next to the vendor's shampoo products.
Such a basic audio only unit is relatively small, light weight, inexpensive and easy to maintain and modify. These basic units are typically battery operated. Accordingly, placement of the unit in the most advantageous shelf position near the products associated with the unit is relatively easy. These basic audio only units are, however, limited to providing audio information about one of a limited number of push buttons. The internal electronics of these basic devices include a chip that contains the digitized audio messages associated with each push button. Typically, the template and the chip are removable, allowing the basic unit to be modified for use in a variety of applications by simply replacing the template and the audio message chip. Of course, any change of the information to be provided, regardless of how minor, requires that the audio message chip be replaced.
A more complex interactive unit will similarly contain multiple push buttons and may also include a screen display. The display may be an LCD display that provides textual information. Typically, an interactive unit of this type will prompt the user with a choice of inquiries from a menu driven program. After the consumer makes a choice and presses the appropriate button, the display will then provide information or prompt the user for additional entries.
For example, an automotive parts vendor may program such an interactive unit to first prompt the user to determine whether the user wants to learn information about spark plugs, shock absorbers or oil filters. The display will instruct the user the press a certain button for information about spark plugs, another button for information about shock absorbers, and another button for information about oil filters. After the user makes a selection, the display then prompts the user with additional questions, for example, the make and model of the vehicle for which the product will be used. In this manner, the user can gather facts and information about various types of products.
These text interactive units are typically twice the size of basic audio only units, and may accordingly be placed in the optimum shelf location with relative ease. These text interactive units are typically battery operated. A text interactive unit may also include audio capabilities.
By virtue of its menu driven operation, a text interactive unit can be used to provide considerably more information than a basic audio only unit. A text interactive unit is relatively more expensive than a basic audio only unit, but its capabilities are greater. A text interactive unit still requires that electronics within the unit be replaced or reprogrammed if any information must be changed. However, in today's video based society, an audio only or text only interactive system may not keep the interest of consumers.
Thus, an interactive system may also include a full video display. Typically, the display is the size of a television monitor. With a full video display, the interactive unit can be programmed to provide audio, text, video, animation and a full range of video features to interactively prompt the user for entries and data and provide the user with information. A video unit such as this may also be viewed by more than one consumer at a time.
For example, a thermostat vendor may program a video interactive system to display video and animation of its products. The system may prompt the user to respond to inquiries and enter data. The system then provides information with graphical illustrations and video presentations in response to the user entries.
A video interactive unit typically employs CD-ROM (compact disk read only memory) technology to provide the audio and video information. The standards for compressing the digital video information provided by the CD-ROM may be, for example, CDI (compact disk interactive) or MPEG (Motion Pictures Expert Group). A video interactive unit may also employ laser disk or computer disk technology to provide the video information.
In a traditional video interactive unit, the use of a full size video display necessitates a floor standing unit. These units also typically house the electronics that provide the audio and video information, for example, the CD-ROM player.
A floor standing unit has several disadvantages with consumers. First, the sheer size of such a unit, coupled with the large video display, may intimidate consumers. A consumer may be reluctant to attempt operation of the unit, fearing that the unit is difficult to operate. Second, a consumer may be reluctant to gather information about personal products based on concerns that others in the store will be able to observe the nature of the user's inquiries. Similarly, consumers may be reluctant to operate a video interactive unit for fear of making mistakes while others are watching them.
A floor standing unit will also take up considerable valuable floor space, which retailers are reluctant to relinquish. Moreover, in a typical retail store with rows of fixed shelving forming aisles, it is impractical to locate a free standing unit in the aisle. Thus, the unit can only be located along the ends of shelving, severely limiting the flexibility with which such a unit can be used. In addition, it is frequently difficult if not impossible to locate such a large unit in the immediate proximity of the products associated with the unit.
Several of these problems with the video interactive system are solved by a unit that employs a mini-video display rather than a full size display monitor. Such a mini-video display may be just a few inches diagonally and provides the same color video capabilities of a full size video display.
A mini-video display is preferable to consumers because it is more private and less intimidating. The smaller screen means that others cannot observe a users operation of the interactive system. Moreover, the smaller display can be integrated into a unit that is substantially smaller than a traditional video interactive system. A unit including the display, a keyboard and a speaker can be made approximately the same size as a text interactive unit. Thus, optimum shelf placement of the unit near the products promoted by the unit is possible. Moreover, such a unit does not take up valuable floor space.
Of course, such a mini-video interactive unit still requires the same type of electronics that a traditional full size video display unit requires. One solution to this problem is to house the electronics elsewhere on the shelf, for example, behind retail products on the shelf, and then run wires from the display unit to a video electronics unit, for example the CD-ROM player. Placement of the video electronics unit on the shelf is not preferable because shelf space is lost. Moreover, if the video electronics unit is placed on the shelf, it must be secured from consumers and made tamper proof. The video electronics unit may also be placed in a back room so that it is secure and unavailable to consumers. In such a set up, however, extensive wiring must be run to the display unit from the video electronics unit. Regardless of where the video electronics unit is placed, wiring limits the flexibility of placement of the display unit.